Jessica Pettway, Beauty Influencer, Dead At 36 From Cervical Cancer After Being Misdiagnosed
Jessica Pettway, beauty and fashion influencer, has died at 36 after a battle with cervical cancer — which was initially misdiagnosed as fibroids.
The news first made headlines after Pettway’s sister posted a message on Instagram remembering her sibling’s life. “It’s my birthday today, and the only thing I could ever wish for is for God to bring you back on this earth,” she wrote on Friday (Mar. 15). “I lost my beautiful big sister 2 days ago and my heart has never felt pain like this. Life will never be the same without her crazy laugh, pranks, or jokes. Loosing [sic] a sibling feels like a connection between us was destroyed. I love you with all my heart.”
The wife and girl-mom of two — who also made a name for herself in the beauty and fashion space years ago — began documenting her health journey in 2022 after taking a social media break. A year later, Pettway revealed to her cumulative millions of followers that she had been diagnosed with stage 3 cervical cancer after a misdiagnosis of fibroids.
Last July she wrote in part on Instagram, “It turns out, it was not a fibroid, but cancer. I was misdiagnosed all this time. I remember hearing that and immediately saying to myself, ‘I refuse to make an agreement with that diagnosis.’ And so I didn’t. Being told I have cancer didn’t [devastate] me. It was the reaction of those close to me.”
She went on explaining her initial symptoms before being diagnosed with cancer. Pettway shared that she had symptoms of “intense vaginal bleeding” that made her “literally bleed out.” She also was experiencing “extreme fatigue, weakness and just not feeling like myself.” However, she did admit that she accepted it as “normal” after speaking with women who said they experienced the same.
Pettway further explained that in July 2022, her husband found her in their bathroom “unresponsive and not breathing.” She was rushed to a hospital, where they told her that her extreme blood loss was due to “fibroids,” although she was passing clots “the size of a placenta.” After a few more episodes of extreme bleeding and 10 blood transfusions, she was then recommended to get a biopsy where she finally got her correct diagnosis.
Pettway remained transparent with her audience about her battle with cervical cancer until she gained her wings. One of her last posts was dedicated to her family where she opened up about the “strain” her illness had on her family financially and emotionally. She also shared how their “unconditional love” conquered it all.
“This was the toughest storm I have ever been through,” she wrote last year. “Yet we made a commitment that we would get through this together. My husband would carry me up the stairs, carry me to the bathroom, lift me out the tub. It was hard for him to see me in that state. And I was so embarrassed to have him see me in my new body. The weight loss just made me feel like a shell of myself. I didn’t want to be seen.”
She added, “But we held on to our vows and the word. We moved forward and did our best not to allow current circumstances to overtake us. It was definitely not easy, but we made it this far! I no longer need assistance to do those things I needed help with before. Prayer works. Unconditional love goes a long way. This photo makes me smile, because I can see the individual happiness on each of our faces. So many new changes are happening in my life, and it’s kind of scary. But I prayed for it and as long as I follow God and hold on to my family, the blessing we’ve been waiting for, will blow our minds!”
VIBE sends condolences and prayers to Jessica Pettway’s family, friends and fans all over the world.
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